Do you expect combined postage if buying more than one item?

plumface

My point was that you say you cannot charge (or say that you charge) for travel to the PO etc,etc.
Yet if the costs were absorbed into the price given in the freepost situation,(or a higher start price) you would probably buy the item and be happy about it.
The minute you mention costs,buyers think the seller is on the make!
Do i take it,as a business seller,all of your costs are worked into your final selling price or do you exclude the cost of getting the item to the PO?
If not,then that is no way to conduct a business.
If you do,even without stating to your sellers so,does it not whiff a little of hypocrosy?

plumface

soolin wrote: »

These are not freepost though so it has nothing to do with the thread.

If they were freepost then seller can do what ever they like. If it is cheaper to send two items in one packet (and as per my earlier post that is not always the case) then seller is under no obligation to do so, but would be foolish if he then sends them combined without giving a little something back as goodwill.

Even with my items that I mentioned earlier where I state openly that no combined p and p is given- I still email each buyer and explain why they are getting 2 deliveries instead of one. Buyers don't always realise how much stuff costs to send and the difference between large letter and packet rates and rely on sellers to make sure it is fair. If I was told specifically that it was not possible to combine the two items, then fair enough- but I would then expect two parcels to arrive and not one.

I totally agree.
I state i combine purchases when possible but,with quite a lot of different items on sale i cannot always combine.
I will always refund some monies when the p&p costs are excessive.(not that you ever get thanked and will sometimes still get your stars marked down):(

soolin

plumface wrote: »

My point was that you say cannot charge (or say that you charge) for travel to the PO etc,etc.
Yet if the costs were absorbed into the price given in the freepost situation,(or a higher start price) you would probably buy the item and be happy about it.
The minute you mention costs,buyers think the seller is on the make!
Do i take it,as a business seller,all of your costs are worked into your final selling price or do you exclude the cost of getting the item to the PO?
If not,then that is no way to conduct a business.
If you do,even without stating to your sellers so,does it not whiff a little of hypocrosy?

I'm a little confused, all my costs are included in the 'cost' of the item. I work out what it costs to buy my widget, to store it, collect it (all costs in fact including taking it to the PO) and then add my profit on- and that is the price I list at.

On top of that item cost I add the actual cost of postage as an extra.

Are you suggesting it is hypocrosy to cover costs and make a profit on an item- isn't that what a business does?

I sell through retails outlets as well and it might shock you to know that my price I charge the customer includes a cost towards the rent and overhead costs of renting my space. I even factor in costs of providing pretty wrapping paper or bags/packaging depending on the item.

I am at a loss to see how a business would work unless these costs formed part of the item cost.

plumface

soolin wrote: »

I'm a little confused, all my costs are included in the 'cost' of the item. I work out what it costs to buy my widget, to store it, collect it (all costs in fact including taking it to the PO) and then add my profit on- and that is the price I list at.

On top of that item cost I add the actual cost of postage as an extra.

Are you suggesting it is hypocrosy to cover costs and make a profit on an item- isn't that what a business does?

Exactly!
You cover all the costs but do not actually write in the description,'cost of taking the widget to the PO included'.
You say it is wrong to state this yet you 'hide' the cost in the price.
What is the difference?

soolin

plumface wrote: »

Exactly!
You cover all the costs but do not actually write in the description,'cost of taking the widget to the PO included'.
You say it is wrong to state this yet you 'hide' the cost in the price.
What is the difference?

Ah, if you cannot see the difference then I cannot explain it- as to me it is so obvious and I do not hold a business degree or anything at all like that.

It doesn't matter anyway as I always say- charge what you want as a seller, we are not your buyers . However put all your costs onto post and packing and stars will fall , so ultimately your end prices are lower and you may well end up restricted by ebay.

Each to their own.

plumface

soolin wrote: »

Ah, if you cannot see the difference then I cannot explain it- as to me it is so obvious and I do not hold a business degree or anything at all like that.
In reality their IS NO DIFFERENCE,the cost is being paid by the buyer.

It doesn't matter anyway as I always say- charge what you want as a seller, we are not your buyers . However put all your costs onto post and packing and stars will fall , so ultimately your end prices are lower and you may well end up restricted by ebay.
I did not say anything about loading onto your p&p.

Each to their own.

As i said earlier,you believe that you cannot justify ALL relevant costs included in the p&p charge,yet you justify the cost being put somewhere else.
That is hypocrosy,is it not?

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

plumface wrote: »

Exactly!
You cover all the costs but do not actually write in the description,'cost of taking the widget to the PO included'.
You say it is wrong to state this yet you 'hide' the cost in the price.
What is the difference?

The difference is the customers perception and the customer doesn't always perceive what is best for them, look at the success of supermarkets with their misleading pricing and poor quality food yet every week millions of people shop there whilst the local shops dwindle.

The most successfully businesses seem to be those who can fool the customer's perception.

In a way the DSRs are good as they force the seller to adhere to certain things which they might not otherwise do but at the same time I disagree with the marking down due to 50pence or so on top to cover whatever as the end result is less sellers, less variety and less competition (which will increase the overall prices).

soolin

plumface wrote: »

As i said earlier,you believe that you cannot justify ALL relevant costs included in the p&p charge,yet you justify the cost being put somewhere else.
That is hypocrosy,is it not?

Really, you cannot see that costs of business are included in the sale price of an item- but NOT specifically stated as post and packing?

So you expect to see people like me say in their auctions

Item cost me £5
my petrol to collect from wholesaler 10p per item on average
costs of my use of house as an office 10p per item on average
costs of walking to PO 1p per item on average
costs of bribing my son to go instead 5p per item on average
my tax and NI, 45p per item on average
my profit approx £5 per item
so my auctions starts on this item at £10.72.

plus stamp cost and packing of £2.40 (charged as an extra)

that apepars to be what you are saying

I really do welcome a discussion , even a robust one, but I cannot explain with any clarity the difference between costs affecting the purchasing and selling of an item, and the fixed costs such as post and packing.

also ebay specific, no one is asked to leave stars as to whether they feel my starting price on an item is fair, they are asked to leave stars on my p and p.

kev225

soolin wrote: »

no one is asked to leave stars as to whether they feel my starting price on an item is fair, they are asked to leave stars on my p and p.

That's the key point here.

Cram as much as you want in the start price but P&P is only postage and packaging.

The clue is in the name, postage and packaging...

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

kev225 wrote: »

That's the key point here.

Cram as much as you want in the start price but P&P is only postage and packaging.

The clue is in the name, postage and packaging...

To be honest, someone who has the inclination to order separate items from the same seller to separate addresses and then mess around collecting them because the seller won't knock off a few pence is the sort of person who shouldn't, in general, be given the power of star ratings which judge the future of a seller's account.